


Proposal fails

by iloveitblue



Series: Prompts [93]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Established, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-06
Updated: 2014-12-19
Packaged: 2018-02-16 08:57:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2263650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iloveitblue/pseuds/iloveitblue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The one where Phil rejects Clint's proposal</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> "What do you mean he said no?" Natasha asked, crouching down to talk to Clint who was sitting in one corner of Stark’s range with his knees hugged to his chest.

"I mean he  _rejected_  me. He didn’t say yes. He doesn’t love me because I’m a useless piece of shit.” Clint muttered, burying his head in his arms. 

Natasha’s brows furrowed. That didn’t sound like Coulson; and she should know. She’s spent her entire career at SHIELD watching two overgrown men dance around each other and pine from a distance for years before Clint got the balls to actually ask Phil out. Phil’s face would light up at the mere mention of Clint. He would do anything to make the archer happy. He would jump at the chance to spend the rest of his life with Clint. There was no reason for Phil Coulson to reject Clint.

"Tell me exactly what he said." Natasha instructed Clint.

Clint raised his head to face her, a pout on his lips. “He didn’t exactly say no.” Natasha raised an eyebrow. “but when I asked him, he just- he laughed, Tasha. That hurt more than a ‘no’.”

Natasha stood up and handed Clint his bow and some arrows. “Shoot something. It might make you feel better.” She told him before storming out. 

She needed to kick Phil Coulson’s ass for breaking her best friend’s heart.

—-

"We need to talk." Natasha said as she closed the door to Phil’s office behind her.

Phil’s brow furrowed. “What seems to be the problem, Agent Romanov?”

"It’s Clint." As soon as she let the words come out of her mouth, Phil stood abruptly.

"What happened?" He asked her worriedly.

This was not the reaction she was expecting. She’d expected Phil to be unresponsive and to quite possibly laugh at her face for thinking he cared - that would make punching his face easier - but this? Coulson springing up in worry upon hearing that something happened to Clint? This Coulson was going to be a little harder to punch. 

"He’s sulking." She told him. Phil stood up straight and cocked his head to the side.

"Why?" He asked.

"Because you rejected him." Natasha tried to point out the obvious. 

"I’m sorry. I’m not following.  _When_  did I reject him?”

"When he asked you to marry him!" This was getting ridiculous and Natasha was starting to get  _really_  annoyed.

"I- what?" Phil had this really stupid face on that Natasha absolutely wanted to hurt. "He never asked me to marry him. What are you talking about?"

"Clint is sulking in the range because you laughed at his face when he asked you to marry him!" Honestly. It was like talking to a child. 

"I- He was serious about that?"

"Of course he was serious! Why would you think he’s kidding about that?"

"Because his exact words were: Hey Coulson, you wanna get hitched with me this weekend? Lol." Phil threw his hands in the air. "I laughed because obviously, I thought he was kidding!"

Oh god. She was  _so_  going to kill Clint. She sighed and massaged the bridge of her nose. “Just- just go fix it, would you?”

Phil nodded and bent over to take something from his table drawers before moving past Natasha to find Clint. Natasha pretended she didn’t see the small black velvet box he put inside his jacket pocket.

Idiots. All of them. They’re lucky she loves them.


	2. Chapter 2

In the end, Phil chickened out.

Natasha wanted to hit them both over the back of their heads. Honestly, men. 

She found out the next morning that they’d made up at least, but the issue remains: They were both too chicken to ask the other to marry, even though they both wanted to.

"I don’t know, Tasha!" Clint answered in frustration. "Maybe because the possibility of him saying no still exists and frankly, the first encounter gave me trauma."

Natasha crossed her arms over her chest. “No, the first attempt was you being an idiot.” She sighed and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Look, Phil loves you. That much, I know”  _I saw the ring to prove it._  “He’s not going to say no. Now, the only question is do you want to spend the rest of your life with him?”

Clint sighed. “You know I do. I want to wake up to him every morning for the rest of my life. I want to see him smile, I want to be the reason behind that smile, and I want him to be the reason behind mine. I want to have a family with him. I want to make him happy.”

"Then all you have to do is ask." Natasha smiled at him comfortingly.

Clint groaned and let his head fall to the back of the couch. “It’s not that simple!”

—-

"It’s simple." Pepper said, signing the last bit of paper that needed her attention. "You do it creatively. As Tony says, go big or go home."

Phil paused in his pacing, “Elaborate please.” 

"This is a grand gesture, right? So make the prelude just as grand. You do it creatively so that you can’t back out last minute like-" She paused to giggle softly, "like what happened on your first try."

"It’s not funny Pepper." Phil pouted.

"Of course not. I’m sorry." 

"I didn’t even get the ring out. It was just sitting there. A big weight on my chest. Quite literally too." Phil began pacing again. "How do you suggest I do this grand gesture?"

—-

"Well, the next big romantic event in this city that’ll happen is Christmas right?" Natasha asked.

—-

"Why don’t you do it then?" Pepper suggested.

—-

"You could use little things like mistletoes, and snow to make it unique."

—-

"It’ll be romantic and you have the excuse to cuddle afterwards."

—-

Clint was nervous. Of course he was. He’s going to propose to the man he loves on midnight of Christmas Eve and there was only 4 hours left.

Shit.  _ShitFuck _Shit_ _Fuck__ _ _Shit_ _FuckShit__ _ _.__

Maybe he should just call off the whole thing? It’s not too late, right? But no. Natasha has helped put all of this together and it’d be rude to her not to go through with the proposal. Besides, he really wanted to ask Phil tonight.

His proposal was  _cute_  if anything. Something to get Phil to smile even before he said yes. Or no. He could say no. Oh God, Phil was going to say no.

 _Shut up. He’s not going to say no because he loves you._ His inner voice supplied, and for once, he thanked said voice for the support.

Anyway, the plan was simple. He was going to lead Phil to the Christmas tree and pretend to panic because he hasn’t gotten Phil a Christmas present. Phil’s going to say  _you don’t have to_ , like he always does every year and Clint’s going to insist. Phil’s going to insist that  _really, Clint, you don’t have to. As long as you’re with me Christmas is complete_  and Clint’s going to try not to melt into a puddle of goo before he tells Phil that  _fine, if you don’t want a gift from me, let’s write letters to Santa._  Phil is going to roll his eyes at him but agree anyway. They’re going to write their letters to Santa and when midnight comes, Natasha will come in through the terrace doors - because Stark doesn’t have a chimney, fuck - dressed like Santa and hand Clint the small box with the ring on it. When Phil asks what’s in the box, Clint will hand him his letter and Phil will read it.  _This Christmas, I wish Phil says yes - its okay if he says no too. But I really want Phil to be my husband; only if he wants it too, of course._ By the time he finishes reading it, Clint will be down on one knee, and pop the question. 

Simple, really.

He can do it. He’s going to do it. In 4 hours.

"Master Barton, Agent Coulson kindly requests your presence in the communal kitchen." JARVIS informed him.

"Tell him I’m on my way." Clint took a deep breath in and let it all out in a sigh. He’s got 4 hours to kill.

—-

"That looks so cool." Clint commented just as Phil piped the last of the gingerbread house.

"Thanks. Pepper helped me find a recipe for it." Phil said, smiling down at his work. He took one of the gingerbread men and handed it to Clint. "Here. Taste it." 

Clint frowned in confusion for a moment before shrugging it off and biting the man’s head off. 

"Remember to chew carefully." Phil said in a mildly panicked voice. Clint slowed down to chew and swallowed. He bit off another bit of the cookie but his teeth caught on to something cold and hard.

Carefully, Clint took out the foreign material, only to realize that it was a silver band - now covered with crusts but a ring nonetheless. “Phil? I- What’s this?”

Phil smiled at him softly, taking the ring from Clint’s fingers. “Pepper told me to be creative so I wouldn’t chicken out, so I baked you a gingerbread house. I know how you love your cookies. But the real point of it was for you to find the ring, because I wanted to ask you a question.” Phil dusted off the remaining crumbs from the ring and bent down on one knee. “Clint Francis Barton, would you do me the honor of marrying me?” Phil wore this really hopeful look, braced for impact but not for the worst. 

Clint was surprised to say the least because  _he_  was supposed to be the one to propose tonight. He was supposed to- Oh, dear Lord. Clint began laughing at the ridiculousness of the whole thing.

Phil obviously took it the wrong way if the way his face fell in deep hurt and disappointment. “Y- You’re right, I shouldn’t have asked, I’m sorry.” Phil said in a hurry.

Clint stopped laughing at that, his laughter turning into a smile. “No, Phil. God, No. I just-  _I_  was going to propose to you tonight. Later. at midnight.” He took Phil’s hands in his, “I had this whole thing planned with Natasha and its cute as fuck. I was actually really nervous about it, but then you go ahead and do  _this_ … and I can’t help but laugh, you know?”

"So that’s a yes?" Phil couldn’t help but ask.

"You’re crazy if you think I’m going to say no." Clint leaned in and gave Phil a kiss, it was soft but enough to make both of their intentions and feelings known plus it tasted like gingerbread.

Clint rested their foreheads together when they parted, they smiled at each other for a moment before Phil took Clint’s hand and slipped on the ring. Clint grinned at him and gave him another kiss.

"JARVIS, please tell Natasha she doesn’t have to dress up like Santa anymore."

Phil frowned, confused. “What?”

"The thing that I was gonna do… It involved Tasha dressing up as Santa."

Phil chuckled. “Well, you might as well go through with it. No use wasting a good plan.”

Clint laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Here on tumblr](http://promptmephlint.tumblr.com/post/105620335886/can-you-do-a-holiday-proposal)

**Author's Note:**

> [Here on tumblr](http://promptmephlint.tumblr.com/post/96788793411/its-saturday-and-i-woke-up-at-like-4pm-i-regret)


End file.
